Spotted Theory
by Arcablue
Summary: When a 'cat' is suspected of murder, and a football player dies in a bank robbery, Las Vegas CSI must resort to having a wildlife forensic scientist aid them in the cases, this leads to something no one suspected...
1. 1

As evening fell on the bustling city of Las Vegas, Nevada a black husky/wolf mix takes off at a run after a squirrel, nearly breaking the owners wrist. The dog turns following the squirrel closely and the leash catches on something and snaps, the dog disappears off the trail. A man, his wife and his seventeen year old daughter head off the trail in search of their dog. A bark reaches their ears, followed by another, they follow the sounds the husband warning his wife and daughter that there were dangerous people sometimes in this area and they needed to be careful. Nodding both wife and daughter look anxious as they approach a clearing, the husband trying to appear brave asks that they return to the trail. Two men stand in the clearing stroking a large spotted cat, the men have their faces covered and have guns attached to their waist, one leans against a beat up pickup truck. The cats eyes suddenly lock with the husband, scenting him it lets out a ghostly scream. Both men suddenly look in his direction and look somewhere in between incredibly worried and murderous. The one leaning not leaning against the car unties the cat and it bounds at the man screaming.  
  
Catherine Sanders, a local forensic expert, wandered along one of the paths surrounding Lake Mead accompanied only by a young blood hound. She was an expert of many fields of forensics and often helped the Las Vegas CSI on difficult cases. She raised blood hounds and other scent dogs, she trained them and their handlers to be prepared for various situations. Sanders let out an audible sigh, the hound she was walking turned and gazed up at her and let out a small bark causing her to smile. The city of Reno, Nevada had requested a hound that was trained to find cadavers, they had requested Sanders knowing she was one of the best in the nation when it came to scent dogs. The dog let out another bark and strained to be released from the leash. Several thoughts raced through Sanders head, she knew that this dog would only bark when it scented a cadaver, or an excessive amount of human blood. She knew that a body could very well be in this remote area of Lake Mead and if there was, she stopped thinking as the dog tried to take off at a run, instantly at the dogs behavior she knew there was a body and she let the dog run. A minute or so later the dog stopped and made certain that Sanders knew that there were several bodies. What she saw horrified her, and quickly she pulled out her tranquilizer gun, aimed and hit the massive spotted cat who turned and snarled before falling, the effects of the tranquilizer taking effect quickly. Sanders rewarded the dog for such an excellent job, and called dispatch. 


	2. 2

Gil Grissom supervisor of the graveyard CSI shift gazed around his office, the batteries finally dead on the Big Mouth Billy Bass above his door, he considered replacing the batteries but decided not to. His gaze fell on his two headed scorpion then on his tarantula sighing he stood and walked out into the halls of the lab. Greg Sanders, a lab tech. nearly ran into Grissom.  
  
"Greg, watch where your going," Grissom's gaze fell on a turban wrapped around Greg's head, "and what are you wearing?"  
  
Greg glanced up, "You do know that we lab rats need to have some form of entertainment while you are off collecting evidence, and well I sort of bet that I could match a set of fingerprints before he could, and well I think he cheated.anyways as you can see I lost. but then there is always next time."  
  
"Have you seen anyone?" Grissom, becoming impatient interrupted the lab tech.  
  
Greg paused thinking, "Now that I think about it. yeah, I saw everyone in the break room."  
  
"Thanks Greg."  
  
Grissom headed to the break room while Greg darted back to the DNA lab.  
  
"Alright everyone, your assignments," Grissom paused as Sara turned off the T.V. and turned her attention back to him, "Catherine, you and Warrick have a bank robbery, high-profile, several people gunned down. Sara, Nick, you're with me, homicide near Lake Mead. Apparently a cat attacked and killed a man and his." Grissom paused his eyebrows raised, "his dog, a very large dog at that. I wonder why it says that.."  
  
Sara quickly interrupted him, "A cat, one that 'meows'? Cats are what a foot tall? Is that even possible, attack and kill? I mean I know they can scratch and all but kill?"  
  
Grissom looked at her, with a grin he said, "No Sara, not a house cat, a wild cat, some sort of cross-breed."  
  
Sara looked surprised and Nick looked at her as they headed to the garage, "Seriously Sara, did you really think a house cat could kill someone?"  
  
She glared at him, "It is possible. Cats are fairly smart. I think. if they knew what they were doing they could kill. I guess. So it is possible."  
  
"You also thought that about spontaneous combustion, remember?" Nick grinned, knowing that that would probably provoke Sara.  
  
"So? Well that's dif..."  
  
"Come on you two, it would be best if we get there before the reporters get wind of this." Grissom interrupted them with a slight grin and they climbed into the car. 


	3. 3

Warrick drove the unmarked black Chevy Tahoe up to the edge of the yellow tape and parked, "Man, I bet whoever makes this crime scene tape is rich!" The tape surrounded the building to keep reporters out.  
  
"True," Catherine commented as she grabbed the two field kits out of the back, "But right now, we have a crime scene to process, and it would be best if that is what we are focused on, not just how rich the inventor of this yellow tape is." She lifted the tape so she and Warrick could go under and enter the crime scene.  
  
They showed their ID cards to the officer standing outside the main entrance of the bank and he opened the door for them. Sergeant O'Riley stood inside, "Catherine, Warrick, OK, here's what all the witnesses said, one man came barging in, dressed in black waving a rifle, then a second or so later a second man came in with, get this, some sort of leopard," He paused as Catherine and Warrick exchanged glances, "the cat started snarling and apparently everyone fell silent, then the man holding the cat go of the chain and the cat leapt onto several people, some getting only scratches, two in the hospital, one of which is that famous football player, anyways, both look like they are going to pull through, and no fatalities, hundred grand stolen, apparently, one of the tellers says that it looked like the robbers weren't that smart, she said that they covered the video cameras, but didn't wear gloves. oh yeah, she said they all, including the cat, looked 'crazy'. I don't know but maybe she thought that the robbers and the cat had rabies or something." O'Riley shrugged and indicated the scene before them. "Well, I'll be finishing interviewing all the people inside here, and you can get to work as well."  
  
"Alright O'Riley, tell us if you get anything else that is interesting." Catherine glanced around at the scene, "Hey Warrick, how about you take pictures of everything, and I'll dust for prints, if they didn't wear gloves, chances are they left prints, probably on that leash."  
  
A leash, silver chain, very strong, but with a solid silver handle, odd design, meant for handlers of large cats, letters LR carved on the handle, perhaps to signify who owned the cat and leash or perhaps the initials of the place where the suspects worked, blood and a few ginger hairs stuck between the links, also a few brown hairs, only a partial print, but still it looks workable, if we get no lead on the print perhaps on the leash, it does have a serial number on it, the last two numbers are scratched out, but still our lab techs have worked miracles like unearthing a hidden number from a car door before.  
  
Catherine glanced up, "Did you get anything Warrick?" She had been thinking while holding the leash in her latex covered hands, Warrick was standing above her.  
  
"Yeah, a couple of partials, and lots of blood over there," He pointed to the counter, her eyes followed where he pointed to, "Had some ginger colored hair mixed in the blood, and I got pictures of the wounds of the people that the cat attacked. Think this case has anything to do with the case Grissom is working on?"  
  
"Perhaps it does, not that sure though, be sure not to tell Grissom that you think they are connected, he'll tell you that you need to follow the facts, which will lead to theories, but if you start with a theory then you will bend the facts to fit the theory." Catherine smiled slightly remembering Grissom telling her that several times in the past, making sure it stuck in her head.  
  
"True, well O'Riley says they all are saying the same thing, cat went ballistic, well lets get the evidence back to the lab." Warrick had already formed a theory about the case but didn't tell Catherine. The two robbers had a cat, probably from where they worked, they trained it to distract, probably were experienced in both zoology and crime, the homicide victim from Grissom's case probably went chasing after the dog, stumbled upon the suspects and was shot or attacked. These people probably were serial bank robbers, I remember a case where the robbers used a wild cat to kill the security guards, while everyone was looking at the cat they snuck in and stole the money, maybe these are the same people, just ran out of money from the other robberies or are still addicted to the thrill of the robbery. 


	4. 4

Detective Jim Brass waited impatiently for Grissom at the scene, already police officers had to be called in to keep the reporters away from the scene. Brass suddenly recognizing an audible grumble and shout, walked over to the boundary, realizing seconds later it was a bad idea.  
  
"Detective! Do you have any information on the case?" "Excuse me! Sir could you tell us what happened?" "Hey! I was here first" "Who cares? Its every man for themselves out here!" "Sir! Could we have an interview??" Reporters were shouting and Brass could tell he was on several 'live' TV stations currently. "We will be informing the press when we get information."  
  
*****  
  
"Sir, we need to get to the crime scene." "Don't we all? I was here before you sir, and don't think I'll move for another reporter." Turning and being sure that he couldn't get through the reporter started shouting questions again. Grissom was getting highly annoyed and the reporters were not letting them through, as a desperate measure he called Brass on his cell phone.  
  
"Brass" Jim Brass never did enjoy talking on the phone but as this provided a reason to escape the numerous reporters he would talk as long as he could. "hey Brass, this is Grissom"  
  
"Where are you this is to the point of turning into a riot and they haven't even seen the cat yet!"  
  
"Well I can barely see the top of your head" Nick commented over Grissom's shoulder.  
  
"Brass get an officer out here to let us in, these reporters are very territorial." Sara barked over Grissom's other shoulder.  
  
"Sure, just one thing Grissom, Sara, Nick, just how long have you been out there trying to convince reporters to move? I mean come on, they move if there is the threat of being arrested, but to them anyone not in a 'cop' uniform is another reporter, and even then they still are suspicious."  
  
"Just get an officer out here now Brass." Grissom sounded highly annoyed.  
  
"Alright, alright, hold your horses, but you do know that the odds are the reporters will get flared up about someone not wearing a uniform getting in the crime scene." Brass chuckled and Grissom faintly heard him giving orders to 'fetch the CSI' "We already set up a second crime scene tape 100 yards from the original, and you're outside that second tape. see you in a minute or so." With that Brass pushed the end button and pretended to look busy so that no reporter could call him over.  
  
*****  
"Took you three long enough." Brass commented sarcastically, "Well alright here are what we know." He paused to lift the original yellow tape so they could pass under, "Mrs. Sanders over there, she was walking one of her hounds when it barked, you know that her dogs only do that when there is evidence of what they are looking for, in this case the hound is being trained to find bodies, she let it lead her out here, it then barked once, how she trains those dogs to do that is a true mystery. anyways, she saw the cat standing over the man's db, and then saw the dog lunge at the cat, what surprised her was that the cat spun and with one fluid movement killed the dog, cut through it's throat cleanly. She tranquilized the cat, then called in to dispatch and immediately placed the tape around the scene, she was after all the first officer, she also took casts of all the footprints before the officers trampled everything." Brass stopped as a young officer with a sickened look on his face, reveling that he hadn't seen an animal attack before, told him that the sheriff had arrived and wanted the press to be told all they knew so far. Brass sighed and nodded, "Alright Grissom, you and your group get to work, I'll go talk to the Sheriff." With that he turned and went under the crime scene tape to the Sheriff. Grissom watched and smiled slightly the sheriff looked shocked at what Brass had just said, knowing Brass. well. "Hey Griss," Grissom snapped out of thought as Sara continued, " We'll photo everything, and bag evidence as we get to it, look up Grissom, it looks like it will rain so we need to do this as fast as possible."  
  
"Get to it then, I'll be over there consulting with Sanders as to what we will be doing regarding the cat."  
  
They all went their separate ways Sara and Nick decided they each would take half the scene and instantly started taking photos.  
  
"Gil Grissom, such a pleasure to see you again, looks as if it will rain soon, but it looks as if the CSI will gather everything in time, I already did a check up on the cat and dog and photographed the wounds on the human body, we need to get the dogs body to the lab, and well the cat is a piece of evidence, and is your only living witness to what happened to John Doe there." Catherine Sanders with the trained dog sitting at attention at her side, smiled, Grissom had always admired her for her sheer talent.  
  
"And how are we to transport 'Kitty' and 'Doggy' to the lab, past the Sheriff and the press?" Grissom knew she always seemed to have a plan and hoped that this one was as good as all the others.  
  
"Simple enough, you know the sheriff, he'll be entertained by the press and the press by him, I'll transport them to the lab in my vehicle, the press knows that I deal with any animals on the scene and they know just how venomous I can be when they try to get in my way. Oh Grissom, no, you can't bag the cat, it wouldn't like that much, just look what it did to me," she held up a shredded pair of thick leather gloves, Grissom gave a slight shudder, "and it was tranquilized, my guess is that whoever owns this cat trained it to be a deadly weapon, and well he," She nodded in the direction of the EMTs who were loading the body into the back of the ambulance, "probably stumbled onto them, also if you asked me, these men who had this cat probably were bank robbers, create a distraction with the cat, steal the money and no one can tell you apart if you are in a line up."  
  
"Thanks for your input," he noticed Sara looking gravely up at the sky as Nick rushed over to help her, he having finished his half of the scene already.  
  
Sara nodded and gave a thumbs up to Grissom as all the evidence, yowling cat, and dead dog included were loaded into the appropriate vehicles. At that instant the sky broke open in a vicious downpour. Grissom who was riding to the lab with Sanders couldn't help smile at the shocked look on all the reporters and on the sheriff's face as the CSI and detectives were in dry vehicles and they were outside in the rain.  
  
"Good thing we got the cat in the car before that happened," Sanders commented as she drove her silver Tahoe onto the main road, "I don't want to know what he would have done if he got wet." Grissom simply smiled and cast a look into the back of the vehicle where the cat lay asleep thanks to a double dosage of Sanders tranquilizers. 


	5. 5

Greg inquisitively looked as Grissom and Sanders, walking past the break room where Greg sat eating ice cream, both were wearing thick leather gloves, brought in the sleeping cat.  
  
"What is with those gloves?" he asked, "what is that and where are you putting it? So I can stay far away from it."  
  
"Hello Greg, it is a wild cat, that is going in Grissom's office, and would gladly tear you to shreds," at that Greg involuntarily shuddered, "I'll have to run some tests, but I am willing to bet that a bit of him is tiger."  
  
"I accept that bet, for lets say buying the whole night shift breakfast someday, I'll bet that it has absolutely no tiger in him." Warrick and Catherine walked up, "By the way, Greg have you even started processing our evidence?"  
  
"Well yeah, of course, I only processed the non-animal evidence, and well the rest is up to you to decide who you want to process it." Greg paused as he saw the cat in the metal cage stir, "Um, boss, the cat, it's moving ."  
  
"Shoot," Sanders quickly reached into a pouch on her belt, and pulled out a syringe. "Grissom, set down the cage on three, one, two, three." Sanders and Grissom set down their side of the cage seconds later the cat woke snarling lunging at the cage, trying desperately to slash anyone nearby with his claws.  
  
Sanders started filling the syringe with the fast acting liquid tranquilizer, her own recipe. A ghostly scream emitted from the cat's throat echoing through out the halls, causing everyone present but Sanders to shiver, causing a few heads to appear in the doorways of the various nearby labs.  
  
"I wonder what the Sheriff will think of this . a cat that is not exactly sociable, in the lab yowling it's head off when ever it isn't on tranquilizers, a spitting fury . I bet the press is already showing up, after all you did have to call into dispatch saying you were bringing it here . " Warrick commented to no one in particular.  
  
"Well this narrows it down, a cat like this is a hybrid, probably raised in a lab, Warrick still want to bet that he doesn't have some of the extinct Chinese Tiger in him?" Sanders seemed unaffected as she reached into the cage amid the slashing paws, "Ow!" the cat had bit one of her hands and wasn't letting go, with the other hand she sank the syringe into one of the shoulders and drained the tranquilizer into the cat, the cat feeling the pain in its shoulders released her hand and she swiftly removed both hands, letting the cat destroy the syringe, which was no good anymore. "I swear, when the breeder and owner of this cat are found," She pulled off the shredded gloves, "I will sue them for the raising of an animal meant to attack the public," Sanders reached into the pouch and added another bandage, this time a large one to her hand that was bitten, and a few other bandages to her arms and other hand, "and for anything else that I can sue them for."  
  
"Man Sanders, your hands are ninety-nine percent bandage, one percent skin." Greg was commenting again.  
  
"So? You get pretty beat up when you're dealing with large animals, and what is that on your head?" she had noticed the turban on Greg's head. "Let me guess, you lost a bet, probably to another lab worker."  
  
Greg grinned, "Naw, I just like wearing odd things on my head."  
  
"That fits your personality Greg" Sara had just walked up wondering if it was the cat making all that noise.  
  
"It does, really." Nick, who had walked up with Sara, "You lost a bet, I can tell, you only wear that turban when you lose a bet, and when you win some other lab worker has it on their head." Nick smiled and his gaze shifted to the cage with the sleeping cat in it, "Was that the cat we heard a moment ago?"  
  
"Yes, and Greg, get to processing the evidence we brought in, you have been on break for at least twenty minutes already." Greg not wanting to upset Grissom nodded and darted into the DNA lab.  
  
"Hey, Grissom, you know that robbery you put Warrick and I on, well, it turns out two men with a leopard-like cat were there," Grissom looked slightly shocked as did Sara and Nick, how ever Sanders seemed unaffected, " They bolted with about a hundred grand in cash." Catherine Willows gaze shifted to Sanders, "Hey, do you think you can id the possible species of cat later? I know your busy with," her eyes darted to the cage, "that, but later? Like next shift?"  
  
"Of course, first I need to run some tests on this cat and administer a long-lasting tranquilizer."  
  
**** The shift drawing to a close, the various members of the graveyard shift were finishing up what ever they needed to get done, both cases had not yet been approved for overtime, the only two who would be staying were Sanders who had to watch the cat, and Grissom who didn't want the cat getting out and attacking his precious specimens.  
  
"All done for now," Catherine commented to Sara, "Sanders looked at the cat hairs, and says there is no way that the hairs belong to the cat in the lab."  
  
Sara looked surprised, "You mean there is another dangerous cat out there? You think that the two cats are owned by the same people?"  
  
"Possibly, but we'll follow the evidence, not run on hunches and theories, don't tell Grissom, but I have a hunch that something is wrong, and that the evidence is spotted wi." Catherine paused as her phone rang.  
  
"Catherine," "The football player is dead." Jim's voice sounded annoyed on the other end. "What??" "Dead, died in surgery, says that there was some sort of poison on his wounds. well we'll check that out later in the autopsy room." "Alright, call Warrick too." "Can't you just tell him you are in the same building!" "No, he just left, it is the end of shift you know." "Yeah, yeah, I know, alright I'll call Warrick, the autopsy is first thing this evening." "Bye Brass." "Yeah, Bye"  
  
Catherine let out a sigh, "This got a whole lot more complicated."  
  
Sara gazed at her co-worker, "What do you mean?"  
  
"The football player died, the other recovered fine. I'll deal with it tonight."  
  
"Wow, I'll tell Sanders and Grissom, I need to head that way anyways, see you tonight."  
  
"yeah. See you tonight Sara." Catherine headed out to her car where she would drive home and see her daughter before she went to school.  
  
****  
  
"Hey Griss, Sanders! Wake up!" Sara nearly had to shout over the cats snarling, Sanders was asleep dangerously close to the cat. "Grissom! Sanders! Shesh what does it take to wake you?"  
  
At that moment the cat screamed, shivers ran over Sara's body and Grissom and Sanders awoke with a start.  
  
"Shesh that cat could wake you but yet I couldn't oh well, just to let you know, that football player died earlier, he had some sort of seizure or something like that autopsy is tomorrow first thing, just thought I'd let you two know." Sara turned and headed out she knew that Sanders was thankful for her waking her up, she smiled as she pulled out of the parking lot. 


	6. 6

"Alright, Sanders, what kind of wounds are these?" Dr. Robbins stood over the dead body of the burly football player indicating lacerations around the chest and arm areas, "They look like they wouldn't be deadly but I'll send a sample of his blood to Tox. And I'll get this odd powder around the wounds to trace."  
  
Sanders nodded, "Everything you send to anyone in this lab I'll need a sample of as well. I also need impressions of the wounds, if we have a case of illegal endangered animal raising and breeding, I'll have to contact my superior in that area."  
  
"Wow, brilliant Sanders has a superior?" Warrick commented, "I truly had no idea, I'll get casts of the impressions for you though."  
  
"Thanks Warrick, and I don't suppose Greg will be too happy that I need to send samples of all the non-human blood to the Wildlife Forensics Lab in Ashton, Oregon"  
  
"I'll get you the samples by the end of shift, and Greg won't mind assuming you just send the animal evidence, after all he doesn't know how to work with that sort of evidence." Dr. Robbins commented.  
  
****  
  
The autopsy complete the trio headed into the halls connecting the various labs. Except for the members of the day-shift getting ready to head home it seemed oddly quiet.  
  
"Hey if anyone needs me I'll be in the AV lab." Warrick commented and turned into the lab.  
  
"Wildlife Forensics Lab?" Catherine asked as she and Sanders headed to the DNA lab.  
  
"Yeah the official name is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Lab. . They are the only lab in the world that specializes solely with wildlife forensics. The people working there are far more educated about this field than I am."  
  
"Fascinating, I didn't even know there was an actual branch related to wildlife, I knew there was forensic zoology." Catherine paused as they heard loud music coming from where Greg must be at. "Greg must be in the break room, lets check there first, I really want to learn more about wildlife forensic science, teach me sometime?"  
  
"Sure." Sanders held open the door to the break room as Catherine entered.  
  
Music was blaring from a boom box and Sanders walked over and turned it off.  
  
"Hey!" Greg looked over at where the boom box sat.  
  
"Greg, did you run those partials I got off the leash through AFIS?" Catherine had her attention fixed on Greg and didn't notice the startled look on Sanders face.  
  
"Of course! I was about to page you but decided to wait until night-shift started. But since you're here now." Greg stood up and grabbed his boom box and headed off to the DNA lab.  
  
Sanders and Catherine headed off after Greg, "You found a leash? If possible can I see it, if it is the type of leash I think it is the odds of finding who it is registered to are in our favor, They have a serial number, and even if they are scratched off we can still reveal the number."  
  
"Sure thing Sanders During shift tonight." Sanders nodded and turned to head off to the AV lab but stopped, thought about something, quickly checked her watch, then turned and headed to Grissom's office.  
  
"Sanders, good thing you're here, I was almost about to page you. Now you can't have this cat," The sheriff kicked the cage and the cat took a chunk out of his shoe causing him to curse, "in Gil Grissom's office! It is a nuisance and I am amazed it wasn't put down on scene! Come on who cares if this mutt of a cat is alive, we need it dead anyways! Can't store it as evidence unless it isn't alive!"  
  
Grissom walked in at that moment and placed a hand on Sanders shoulder, he could tell just by her posture she was about to punch the Sheriff, and knowing her, she would find someway that would leave the Sheriff in pain for several days. "Sheriff, I do believe I asked to meet you in the break room." He kept his hand on her shoulder his body posture telling her that she needed to stay quiet.  
  
"Well it's a good thing that I didn't! Look at this cat!" He pulled out his gun causing Sanders to lurch forward a bit. "I might as well shoot it, I mean it's not like it's a crime."  
  
Grissom let go of her shoulder and Sanders darted forward in-between the Sheriff and the feline, the look in her eye simply stated, 'you are such an idiot' she spat at him, "Yes it is a crime, and that is an extremely rare species! If you shoot it you would be violating several laws, and currently several extremely important people are following this case, and they are insisting that I stay a part of it in order to insure that no harm comes to this feline! And you can have live animals as evidence, several cases have used live animals as evidence, they don't bring them into the courtroom but there are other methods! You are"  
  
Grissom swiftly cut her off and stepped between the two knowing Sanders might lunge at the Sheriff, "Sheriff, I need this cat alive and if you try to intervene, well, you shall be arrested." He spoke in a calm yet assertive voice.  
  
"And who would do that? Come on, no one really cares what happens to this cat, what Sanders said is simply hot air." The Sheriff's face was turning red and he spoke angrily. He glanced up and saw that Sanders certainly fit the description of someone who could handle huge, incredibly dangerous animals with just a pair of leather gloves and her wits, her general appearance caused his voice to drop several decibels, "What, the officials are who, the FBI? Come on they wouldn't bother with a case that involved a cat."  
  
"Actually they would and yes, the FBI are monitoring this case, and if you allow me to do what I do best, it will look very good for you." Sanders appeared much calmer now that she was separating the cat from the Sheriff.  
  
"Fine. Grissom, we'll talk later." The Sheriff looking highly pissed off as he stormed out nearly running over Greg who was yelled at for about thirty seconds over various things including his appearance.  
  
"Whoa, what's with the Sheriff?" Greg looked ruffled as he handed Sanders a paper, "Just faxed from the Wildlife Crime Lab in Oregon."  
  
"Greg, could you feed the feline? There's some meat in the icebox next to his cage." Sanders was looking over the paper intently, she didn't even lift her eyes to watch as Greg cautiously walked up to the icebox grabbed a piece of meat and very comically, though probably not intending to be, tossed the meat into the cat's cage. "Amazing, well I was right tiger blood in him. this cat has Jaguar, Siberian Tiger, Lion, and an unknown species in him. amazing isn't it? Just how up to date the national wildlife lab is? They ran the DNA, and want to know if I would be willing to help them later in the year with some cases" She smiled and headed to the phone to make a call saying 'Sure, I'll be following that case you are dealing with now.' She knew that she would be needed in a few minutes but would catch up with her friend who worked there and had just gotten of work for the day, she pulled out her phone and dialed. 


	7. 7

The graveyard shift CSI worked intently while the Las Vegas night began. Gil Grissom was in his office filling out paperwork and occasionally throwing a piece of meat to the feline in it's sturdy cage. Warrick Brown was in the AV lab intently studying a tape from the bank, the robbers had missed the hidden camera that showed the entire bank. Sara Sidle and Nick Stokes were attempting to make Greg Sanders tell them about the evidence they found at the scene. Catherine Willows was searching the halls with an overjoyed look on her face.  
  
****  
  
Grissom sighed, sometimes he thought that what Catherine had said was true, that he had the most boring job ever. He looked over the various papers arranged, sort of, on his desk. He grabbed a random one and started filling out the form. He glanced around his office and his gaze fell on the one thing that was not usually there, the feline involved in his current case. Bored he stood and walked over to the cage, he pulled on a pair of leather-like gloves and opened the ice-box sitting next to the cat's cage. The cat yowled slightly but didn't lunge, Sanders had given it something to calm it down. Grissom pulled out a piece of meat and tossed it into the cat's cage. He smiled as the cat sniffed it before tearing into it. He knew better than to believe that the cat would stay this calm, Sanders was talented but not talented enough to tame a creature that thought along the lines of the prehistoric cave lion trying to take out a full grown mammoth. Glancing at the clock then at the pile of papers completed he pulled off the gloves and returned them to where they had sat minutes ago, and headed out of his office to grab a cup of coffee.  
  
****  
  
The AV lab was dark, the only source of light was a flickering screen with Warrick Brown perched in front of it. He had been at this for at least an hour, and had several pages of notes. He grinned as he thought, 'Yeah, we have funding, we get the best when it comes to DNA research, or ballistics analysis, but when you enter the audio-visual lab, you get a dark room where you sit at a computer watching grainy black and white security tapes over and over until you can't move, and then you watch it some more.' He blinked and hit rewind and watched the few minute ordeal again.  
  
~Several bankers stand at their posts depositing money into accounts, withdrawing money, a line of about 6 people waiting to deposit or withdraw their cash, the now deceased football player stands third in line. A man dressed in black walks in, as this is a small bank there isn't a security guard or he is out on break. He withdraws a dangerous looking pistol and holds it up. The bankers freeze but as the man obviously hasn't said anything yet the people in line appear clueless. About two seconds later the second man walks in, holding a large pale gray cat on a leash,~  
  
Warrick glanced up, he had watched this section of the tape multiple times, commenting to no one in particular, "Well Sanders was right, the cat wasn't a leopard as the witnesses said, looks like a mountain lion, but who knows with this grainy thing."  
  
He sighed and hit 'pause' the robber had just grabbed the cat by some sort of collar and was moving in the direction of the door. He stretched and decided he needed a drink, something cold. Yawning he got up and went out the door of the AV lab, leaving the light off.  
  
****  
  
Sara Sidle was leaning on the counter Greg on the other side. The sound of Greg's music was playing near silently for she had turned it down to the second lowest setting. Sara was watching Greg with an incredibly bored look on her face while Nick was sitting in Greg's chair watching him, slightly interested. Greg had a magician's hat on his head and a cape attached at his neck. He gave a dark look to a different area of the lab where the residential AV lab tech was watching with a soda in hand. He waved his hands around a second magician's hat and said some random words, including 'celery', 'fish sticks' and 'pig ears,' Sara and Nick exchanged glances before returning their gaze to Greg.  
  
"Abra Kadabra! And Presto!" Greg had a grin on his face as he reached into the hat pulling out a paper, "and the results of that stuff you found on John Doe's shirt," he paused for a second, "I thought it was from a vehicle, it makes sense, but" he looked at the paper, "it isn't, so then I thought hmm. maybe sand, but no." Greg gave the general appearance that he would be rambling for an hour at least.  
  
Nick decided to intervene, Sara had a glazed look on her face waiting for anything important, "So Grego, I can tell you lost another bet," Greg looked as if he was about to protest and Sara looked awake again, "but does John Doe have a name?"  
  
Greg grinned, "Of course, well he has two, John, and Carl Salkiets, O'Riley is already out telling the family, they called in that he was missing three hours after he was found . anyways O'Riley said that if he found out anything you would be the first to know, well after Griss. of course."  
  
"Finally got some useful info. out of you Greg, well now we need to know what that substance is." Sara added in.  
  
After an hour or two of listening to Greg ramble on occasionally saying some odd word followed by 'Abra Kadabra'. Finally Sara and Nick got Greg to tell then that it was the same powder as was on the football player.  
  
"Go ahead, I have two magical samples under these amazing comparison microscopes," Greg was still acting in the magician manner. Sara and nick cautiously looked into the two microscopes, "Now what you're looking at is basically amino-black."  
  
"Wait," both Nick and Sara had glanced up at Greg, Nick was asking, "You mean fingerprint powder??"  
  
"Yeah, and that brown hair, I thought it was human, but it was a hair off a fingerprint dusting brush, apparently it's camel. My guess your criminals know about forensics, checked for fingerprints and left some partials to try and throw you." Greg grinned.  
  
Nick and Sara both looked equally shocked. "Hey Grego, come with us to the break room," Nick placed one hand on Greg's shoulder and slowly steered him out of the lab, " And tell Grissom that." Greg looked a mixture of worried and annoyed, Sara looked deep in thought and Nick told the AV lab tech. that the idea of making Greg dress and act as a magician was creative but annoying.  
  
****  
  
"Hey Sanders!" she paused as Catherine caught up to her, "Yeah that leash we found out that the person didn't scratch out the serial number, they covered it with metal and put a fake number on it. They really didn't want anyone finding out what it was, and as they spent so much effort covering the number, it's probably registered to the killers. I have one of the techs working on removing the metal so we can see the real serial number and perhaps recover a print."  
  
"I was just about to page you, I was hoping to see that leash, and here you are. Well lead the way Cath."  
  
They walked over to the lab where the low whine of the tool removing the top metal filled the air.  
  
"Interesting no doubt," Sanders gazed at the leash, "I'll search the database for the serial number, hopefully Brass will have something to do tonight." Sanders smiled, she knew just how rare these leashes were, and how expensive. She herself had one in her field kit.  
  
Catherine smiled as well, "So you think that we will be able to get something off of this?" She indicated the metal leash.  
  
"There's always something." Sanders responded.  
  
"S45L-325-06321" The lab tech stated as Sanders wrote it down.  
  
"Thanks, photo it as well. Well I do believe everyone is meeting in the break room, might as well head there."  
  
Catherine nodded and they headed to the break room. Sanders holding a Polaroid picture of the leash, and one of the serial number, as well as the paper she scribbled the number onto. The lab tech. finishing up and returning the leash to evidence after taking several more pictures. 


	8. 8

'Cat' Sanders, read the serial number over the phone to her friend at the Wildlife Crime Lab. She smiled as she knew that within minutes the id of the owner would be found, and then she would inform Brass.  
  
"Name's Tim Direse, I may have pronounced the last name wrong, but you got the spelling, I'll fax you the info. about him, we've been monitoring him, but had to stop recently, he's nearly killed several of our investigators, including you, so be careful." Sanders friend paused as she faxed the info from Ashton, Oregon to Las Vegas.  
  
"Of course, thanks," Sanders grabbed the faxed paper and was reading over it. "I'll call you if I need anything else."  
  
"Sure, anytime."  
  
Sanders with a smile on her face paged Brass with the name and address, and she set off to find Warrick and Catherine.  
  
****  
  
Detective Jim Brass glanced up to find Catherine Willows and Warrick Brown standing in front of him, "Sanders just paged me, I'm assuming she told you, and she said she wanted to be there, as this man has a record of animal embezzlement, and training animals to fight."  
  
Both Warrick and Catherine nodded, "Yeah, she said something like that, she said she'd ride with us." Warrick grinned slightly. They turned and headed to the garage where they would meet Sanders and sign-out a black Chevy Tahoe.  
  
****  
  
Brass had already arrived, Search Warrant in hand, Sanders had a Search and Seizure warrant, she was after all working with the FWS and had gotten a warrant for this place. As the black Tahoe pulled up a large wolf was snarling.  
  
"Grand, well obviously we'll be taking several things back with us." Sanders commented, her voice sounded highly annoyed.  
  
"What do you mean?" Warrick looked concerned.  
  
"Oh, just whatever animal related products he has inside, that artic wolf, and the tiger yowling out back." Sanders had seen things like this before, no one calls it in until someone is viciously attacked, she had been attacked before, she had scars running up and down her back, all over her arms and legs and a few were on her face. She had been lucky to survive that and the people at the FWS considered her either highly brave or insane, or perhaps a mix of the two. When she told them that she would be returning and working with large animals once more they decided that Sanders really loved her job. She had been trained to deal with vicious animals, but not ones trained to kill, and she knew that that was what they faced behind the door.  
  
She reached into a field kit she had brought along and pulled out two guns, handed one to each of the CSI, she simply said, "These are tranq. guns, high power tranquilizer inside, you have five rounds, basically takes down a bull African Elephant in less than two minutes. Takes out anything, but leaves them alive, if necessary you can use it on the perp."  
  
"How do you know this is our guy?" Catherine was curious.  
  
"Experience, he knows how to handle these animals, you have to or you'll be dead first day they arrive, there is a tiger out back, and if you listen closely there are several other large cats, probably that Florida Panther that was involved with the robbery." She paused as she looked around, no one had exited their vehicle yet, "I already gave Brass one of these guns, lets go."  
  
Warrick noticed the slightly grave look on Sanders face, he didn't know why she looked like that but he knew that something was not right at this place. They met up with Brass on the doorstep, "Now everyone, I'll need to look around, locate everything and call in what I find, if you see any live animals, they probably are trained to cause harm, so avoid them."  
  
Brass pressed the doorbell and seconds later it was opened by Tim Direse, "What do you want??" Sanders noted that he had a dangerous look to his eye. He noticed Sanders and started to panic.  
  
"We are with the Las Vegas Criminalistics." Brass was cut off by Direse slamming the door in his face. He turned to Warrick, "Brown, call dispatch, we'll need backup." Warrick nodded and headed over to the car, Brass turned and looked at Sanders, "Sanders did you see inside, man, this man must have half of the world's endangered animals inside, pelts, skeletons."  
  
Sanders nodded and looked at the wolf that was snarling. "This man is dangerous, he's nearly killed several of the Fish and Wildlife Service's investigators, including me."  
  
"You? But."  
  
"Yes, he's dangerous, he isn't armed except with what ever is out back, I'll be going up on the roof now, if he's out back I'll shoot him with the tranquilizers, watch out if I don't get him, he'll try to kill you. Guaranteed." Catherine and Brass nodded as Sanders climbed up top, "Oh. My. God." What she saw shocked her, There were about twenty endangered cats, and there was a stable that held endangered deer and horses. The man in a desperate effort to save himself was aiming a gun at a Florida Panther, Sanders raised her gun and shot him in the shoulder.  
  
He spun and aimed at her and hit her in the shoulder, Sanders yelped and with the force of the bullet hitting her she literally rolled off the roof and onto the lawn where the wolf lay, he scented the blood and lunged. Sanders heard a shot fired and several shouts before she blacked out.  
  
Note: This is sort of a disclaimer: I don't work for the FWS.  
  
Hope you like the story as of yet, it's about halfway done currently. 


	9. 9

Sanders woke in less than thirty seconds, the medical personnel had dressed her wound and were about to load her into the ambulance, she woke and with a venomous snarl said, "I can't leave here yet, I'm the only qualified person who can retrieve some of the evidence inside!" One glance at her face and they let her go, they knew her, she's unaffected by wounds, they knew she would be fine, they had responded to the frantic call to dispatch made by her super., where her superior was shot, he recovered, she was in a worse state than he, but demanded that he be treated first and that the suspect arrested.  
  
She stepped inside, what she saw shocked her, there were tons of 'trophies.' She looked very angry and she pulled out her cell calling her FWS superior. He agreed that they would need to send in appropriate officials, and that if even half of what Sanders had described were there they could have him put away for life.  
  
Catherine and Warrick were out back, they looked worried but still were processing evidence. Warrick looked up, "Hey Sanders, I thought that they had taken you to the hospital. Glad you're alright."  
  
She grinned, "Yeah, lucky for me those were the same people who responded last time."  
  
Catherine smiled, "hey, look at this an empty cage. On the id card it say's 'Spotted'" She glanced up, "I'm guessing cat's name," She returned her gaze to the id tag, "Breed: Mix: Jaguar, African Lion, Siberian Tiger, and," She paused again, "Well something is written here, but it is scratched out."  
  
Sanders looked as if she was a little kid whose birthday was today, "I'll call Grissom, tell him we found the perp. that owns the cat we have in custody." She dialed.  
  
"Sanders! Catherine!" Warrick was shouting from further down the lane, "I think I found our cat!"  
  
They quickly joined him at the far end of the cages, "Ginger hair, from the cat above his cage, and tawny coat, scars running along body, adjacent to predicted ones from your case, Florida Panther, I do believe you have the cat. Well this is enough to lock up him up at least for life, if not the death penalty." Sanders smiled slightly, "But you at least still have another suspect, and I know this guy, he is good at smuggling, and that's about it, odds are now you're looking for someone who is an expert at forensics, zoology and deception is my guess."  
  
They nodded but still were glad they at least had one suspect in custody, maybe he will spill the details about his partner.  
  
Sorry this chapter is so short. wrote it fairly fast. 


	10. 10

His gaze fell upon the person sitting on the other side of the interrogation table and he spat at her, she smiled and simply said, " I see you remember me." Something about her voice was forced, but the smile was true, she had finally gotten 'him' for what he had done, he would be serving the equivalent of ten life sentences, this is why she smiled, 'yeah this idiot tried to kill me, well that's the second time. I don't care, I am going in there, my Superior is coming, and he'll kick you out Brass.' She was going to see her Superior, she awaited his arrival before she would interrogate 'him,' the 'person' on the other side of the table.  
  
Brass had literally been thrown out and now stood on the other side of the one way glass. He glared at the glass, there were two people in there who he despised, one for trying to kill a former CSI, the other for kicking him out of the room. Grissom walked up to Brass and saw his dark glare, 'that would make a good picture.' he thought, "Hey Brass, what is there a room of perps about to get away in there?" Brass turned, "No, just the idiot that nearly killed Cat twice, and Cat's Superior, who," Brass paused and tried to get his anger in check. "who kicked you out, despite your shouts of needing to stay in there, I heard." Grissom grinned and was soon followed by the rest of the CSI, for the two high profile cases had been linked to this guy.  
  
'Cat' Sanders glared venomously and silently the complete CSI had the same thought, 'I would not want to be that guy right now.' "Yes, I understand that you like to spit, shoot at p."she stopped and let her Superior continue, there was too much riding on this case for her to lose her temper now.  
  
"Sir," Everyone gazing through the one way glass knew this was the Superior, at that time supervisor, that had been shot when 'Cat' had gotten many of the scars she now had, with the exception of her hands, which were now all scarred thanks to the cat in Grissom's office. They could tell that he was the man who had been shot by the his voice, full of anger with a little fear. "You do know that you." His voice faltered as he saw the man stand, Sanders leapt to her feet with an amazing agility. "Sir, sit down. NOW." He didn't instead he lunged and threw a punch at the now standing Superior. Brass muttering 'This was a bad idea, I told her.' as he darted inside he helped Sanders pull the man off her Superior who lay on the ground with a very bloody lip and what promised to be an impressive black eye.  
  
"We know what you did, and we will get you for it! You'll get life without parole or the death penalty, for the murder of just one man! Who knows what the officials will do about the thousand or so wildlife related charges!" The Superior shouted at the man as Brass led him outside handcuffs securely attached.  
  
Grissom saw the man as they led him to a temporary cell. He smiled, 'Sanders took a chunk out of him.' He thought as he turned and walked back to the AV lab.  
  
The rest of the CSI were in the break room as Sanders was convincing her Superior ice would be best if he wanted to see out of his left eye.  
  
"Jeremiah! Would you just take the ice?" She looked as if she was running out of ideas, Sara glanced in their direction, she was starting to assume that his name was 'Sir.'  
  
"Alright Cath, alright." He took the ice and held it to his eye that already was showing signs of a massive black eye. His brilliant blue eye, the one that was not covered with an ice pack, glanced around at the CSI sitting around the break room. "Cath, are these the CSI you worked with after you were put on leave after the. incident?"  
  
She smiled, "Yeah, they're a great bunch of people."  
  
Nick who was closest to them smiled, "Yep, the whole lab's great, well, not Ecklie..."  
  
"Nick!" Catherine Sanders glared at him, he instantly backed down, she had that sort of gaze.  
  
Greg darted in a second later, "Cat! Someone let your feline out!"  
  
Both 'Cat' and Jeremiah jumped up at the same time, in any other situation it would be comical but in this one it was extremely important that the cat was caught before anyone came across him.  
  
Brass darted in right after Greg, with a bleeding lip, "Sanders! That idiot attacked us! Nearly strangled one of the officers! He ran in the direction of Grissom's office. I think he's letting the cat out."  
  
"It's already out." She sounded incredibly grave, "Nick, Greg, Catherine," She said the name as she shoved a pistol into each of their hands, "We are hunting for the cat, everyone else we need that.that man." she caught herself just in time, "We need him caught NOW! If you see the cat, shoot him in the leg, unless you have the tranqs! We need him to prove the guiltiness of the man, and don't kill the man! We really need to get him for what he did! He's very danger." She didn't need to finish, "We know Cat, really." Nick looked a mixture of annoyed and worried. Everyone was drawing their weapons, and Catherine and Nick were ready to hand their normal guns to the first lab people they came to.  
  
Everyone darted in different directions, Sanders and Brass headed to Grissom's office. They only barely heard the sound that the lab was in lockdown, Both of them knew that there were officers at every window and possible escape route, they also had Dobermans with them, dogs Sanders had trained to be able to take out an elephant, literally, but not with an elephant... There was no way he or his cat would escape. They heard a loud shout, Brass was slightly amazed as Sanders darted forward swiftly, he realized this was how she was able to work with swift animals, 'Amazing how swift and agile she is', he thought as he hurried to catch up to her.  
  
They heard shots and shouts from the other side of the lab, the shouts were shouts of the man as he cursed amazingly loud. They turned and saw it's cold eyes, they held a sort of fire. 'Cat' was pained to see those eyes, they were the signs of wilderness, she had seen those sort of eyes only when an animal was found in the wild. Sanders was trained to handle these situations and following the protocol involving wildlife she shot several rounds into the cat. The fast acting tranqs took effect almost immediately. Blood dripped from it's fangs and it screamed into the night as it fell, Sanders knew it would be up and though thoroughly drugged, it would still be dangerous, it couldn't leap, she had shot the tranquilizers in the areas that would disable his legs temporarily, for several hours.  
  
Brass had his phone out and had dialed straight to an ambulance that was returning from Desert Palm.  
  
The men in the ambulance usually didn't get calls straight to their ambulance, the one not driving answered, "hello?" "This is Detective Jim Brass I'm at headquarters," He knew they knew what he was talking about, "Right outside the DNA lab, We need you in here NOW!" "Brass! We're on our way, what is it?" Brass heard the siren in the background of the radio unit and could tell they would be there in a minute or so. "Female lab worker, attacked by that cat, idiot owner was here broke out of our cuffs somehow." "Wait Brass, did you just say." He was cut off by the driver, "What do you mean? She's been attacked? We'll be there right away." 


End file.
